Thai AirAsia to add three aircraft in fleet top-up

THAI AirAsia plans to buy three more aircraft by the end of the year, boosting its fleet to 57 aircraft in an expansion aimed at keeping up with growth and business opportunities.

The expanded fleet will help the carrier achieve a load factor average of 84 per cent and a goal of carrying 19.5 million passengers, the airline said.

The carrier had a load factor average of 86 per cent in the second quarter of the year, with 4.69 million passengers, chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said yesterday.

Asia Aviation Plc (AAV), the majority shareholder of Thai AirAsia, said that in the second quarter of 2017 the airline booked revenue of Bt8.336 billion and net profit of Bt171 million. The load factor average of 86 per cent represented a rise of 3 percentage points year on year.

For the first half, AAV had revenues of Bt17.49 billion and net profit of Bt741 million, reaching a load factor average of 88 per cent – a gain of three percentage points – with 9.55 million passengers.

Tassapon, who is also chief executive officer of AAV, said that in the second quarter Thai AirAsia booked revenues of Bt8.336 billion and net profit of Bt310 million. For the six months, revenue was Bt17.486 billion and net profit Bt1.346 billion.

Tassapon said a highlight for the second quarter was the acquisition of an additional aircraft, and the carrier’s expansion across the Indochina region and within Thailand.

It added Bangkok-Danang and Chiang Mai-Ubon Ratchathani routes, while increasing the daily frequency from Bangkok to Khon Kaen to five flights; to Roi Et, to 3 flights; to Penang, to two flights; to Phnom Penh, to three flights; from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani to two flights; from Hat Yai to Kuala Lumpur to two flights; and from Pattaya (U-Tapao) to Udon Thani to two flights.

In the second half of 2017, Thai AirAsia will focus on new routes to India as it is a high-potential market in terms of investment and tourism.

On July 31, it launched two routes to India, flying from Bangkok to Jaipur four times a week and Bangkok to Tiruchirappalli four times per week. The airline previously introduced daily direct flights from Bangkok to the Maldives.

Domestically, the airline “will continue to focus on creating interregional connections in response to their positive growth and strong feedback”.